Summer Waves ‘Goodbye’ (A Poem)

Children file one by oneheads slumpedthe look of defeat on their faces,backpacks slung precariously over their shouldersweighed down heavily as they take that first, languishing step onto the school bus.It is yellow with black stripes resembling the bumbles bees in the gardenas they stopped to visit flower after flower.

Taking a vinyl seat, browned and cracked…duct-tape joined where fabric gave way to endless stabbings of pencils and house keys

and blue ‘bic’ pens which tattooed namesand not so nice words just beyond the prying eyes of the bus driver.

Taking the seat closest to the back right over the wheel well…(great! less room)the view from the prison window which only fell halfway, dampening the sticky airwith smells of diesel exhaust, You look out…discontent,a little sad and crestfallenwhere had the Summer gone? In a blink. Faster than the promise of this nextlong winter…she was gone.

Parents, standing at the bus stop cameras in hand, smiling and eagerlywave their hands to show supportwhile others throw a few ‘thumbs-up’ our way.But we don’t see them through this din.We, the children of the summer…we only see her wave one last time as a sliver of sun light touches our seatswarming us one last time…it stretches out over usbathing us once moreas if in farewell…the light leans in close for a final hugtouching shoulders and backpacksand on our skin,as our eyes wet our cheeks.She waves goodbye…until next time. S E. Strissel 9/1/14